


At Rest

by Heartensoul



Category: Gundam Wing
Genre: Church of Lemons, Church of Lemons 2021, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Lemon, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-16
Updated: 2021-02-16
Packaged: 2021-03-18 01:28:36
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,460
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29481477
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Heartensoul/pseuds/Heartensoul
Summary: It's been three and a half years since Relena's last exchange with Heero. As she navigates her new role as citizen, she also has to figure out how Heero fits into her new life.A sequel to "In Time" and written for Church of Lemons 2021.
Relationships: Duo Maxwell/Hilde Schbeiker, Relena Peacecraft/Heero Yuy, Trowa Barton/Quatre Raberba Winner
Comments: 19
Kudos: 31
Collections: Church of Lemons 2021





	1. Part I

**Author's Note:**

> At Rest  
> Pairing: Heero/Relena, brief mentions of Quatre/Trowa and Duo/Hilde  
> Rating: Explicit  
> Prompt: Written for the 2021 Church of Lemons Challenge.  
> Note: This story is a follow up to my one-shot story “In Time.” This takes place three and a half years later. It could probably stand alone, but I recommend giving “In Time” a read first. I promise that one isn’t long.
> 
> A massive thank you to WingsLanding for beta reading and making the story better, and to the Church of Lemons Sprinting group for cheering me on!
> 
> The playlist for this story can be found here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5xjVCTNEy6M7HuNcVsL0qY

Part I

Relena eyed the offending document on her screen with the utmost scrutiny. The third paragraph could use some work—she spoke too much about her accomplishments, and it may be best to be humble. Maybe she should change some of her “I” statements to “we” to reflect a communal sense of accomplishment. Maybe her rationale for resigning sounded too selfish—

Beside her, Quatre sat with a look of eternal patience. 

“You’re only torturing yourself now,” her friend and fellow diplomat said good-naturedly. “Hit send.”

“You’re right,” she sighed, her mouth quirking in displeasure. The resignation letter was a formality at this point: She told the President months ago, already done a press conference, and followed that up with a speech to the public, though she had declined some leaders’ suggestion of a farewell tour spanning Earth and the Colonies. She wasn’t a pop star, for goodness’ sake.

She clicked send, and let the momentary clash of relief and terror wash over her. 

And then it passed. Freedom.

“What now?” She asked Quatre, her smile revealing that she was only half kidding. For as long as she could remember, her life was political, even when she was only a politician’s daughter. The space between others’ expectations and her obligations always felt so narrow—until now.

“You work on figuring out what comes next.” Quatre assured. “This is the fun part.”

“Fun,” Relena repeated, the word not much more than an exhale. What was fun to her? She could hardly fathom it among all the years of work and obligation. There had, of course, been moments of pleasure: a good dance, engaging conversations, inside jokes with others, the pleasant moments that came with the sporadic dating she partook in. But even in her youth, it had been acting proper, networking, and planning parties, which were all things she tired of during her tenure as a diplomat.

“Let’s start with something simple: Trowa picked up some pastries from our favorite bakery.” 

Quatre stood then, offering her his hand. Relena took it, grateful for his support and guidance as she navigated her exit. He would remain within the diplomatic fray, as expected of the Owner and Chairperson of Winner Corporation; however, Quatre always managed a level of work/life balance that both impressed Relena and made her envious. Whatever she did, be it politics or parties, she had to be all-in.

And right then, she was all-in for eating some delicious cakes. 

“Pastries sound wonderful,” she agreed, pressing her laptop closed with a note of finality.

—————————

The first few weeks of her self-imposed freedom, she laid low; the paparazzi would be itching for that first picture of her, ready with cameras and click-bait headlines promoting a non-existent baby bump or juicy details about some poor soul standing near her. 

During that period, she enjoyed the downtime to plan some much-needed remodeling of the Darlian mansion and to rid the place of mementos her mother left behind during her move. Her evenings were spent reading fiction novels, though she pointedly avoided any with romance or political intrigue. She also avoided the news entirely, relying instead on updates from Dorothy concerning only the most necessary information (Dorothy’s petty commentary on her replacement was also sprinkled in, but Relena could tell she was doing her best to rein it in.)

She made plans to visit Quatre and Trowa again on L-4, and a get-together with the Maxwells during their next pick up on Earth, but she steered clear of anything that put her on L-2. Despite the warmth of their last conversation, Relena felt hesitant reaching out to Heero now that she no longer held a political position. 

_“Will you want to see me then?” She asked playfully._

_“Of course.”_

She found herself second-guessing the sincerity of his words on the other side of three years. Would she seem immature or desperate if he saw her on the colony so soon after retirement? Would he feel pressured to meet with her, or run away? The uncertainty plagued her, while at the same time made her feel foolish. She told herself there was plenty of time to figure out what role, if any, Heero played in her life; she didn’t need to chase him across the galaxy anymore.

—————————

Before she knew it, two months passed in a blur of unstructured time and wallpaper removal. She was careful with how she carved her space in the world. She enjoyed reading, so she joined a book club at the town’s public library. She also still enjoyed dancing, and volunteered as an assistant for a ballroom instructor when she was too advanced to be a student. For the most part, the public was respectful of her privacy, usually delighted to ask for a picture and move on. As time passed, those she interacted with most often became more at ease, and she, in turn, relaxed into her new role of citizen.

She took up running, hated it, and settled for slow flow yoga to keep moving. She learned she would always need a chef in her kitchen and a gardener to keep her plants alive, but she liked the monotony of cleaning. She donated most of her old formal wear, especially her highest heels, when she figured out she preferred jeans and a button-down when she went out. 

She was, overall, content with her quiet life.

“You’re becoming a hermit, Relena,” Dorothy chided on the other end of a video call one evening. The two women would always have different approaches to—well, everything—but Relena enjoyed Dorothy’s company, and after all this time she was convinced Dorothy liked her well enough, too. 

“Oh, nonsense. I go out several times a week for shopping, my book club, the dance class—”

“All superficial connections,” Dorothy dismissed with a wave of her hand. “Have you gone on any dates? Made any phone calls? Next you’ll be telling me you’re knitting yourself a cozy sweater.”

Ah, there it was. Relena’s gaze went skyward; Dorothy never quite stopped mocking Relena’s more quiet nature, although it was more jest than challenge after all these years.

“I wouldn’t expect you, of all people, to tell me to find a man,” Relena challenged. “Have you been talking to my mother? She was always disappointed in the fact that I’m an abysmal knitter.”

“Fine,” Dorothy relented. “But don’t stay cooped up in that mansion for much longer. Little group meetings don’t count. You don’t need any parts of you getting _dusty_.”

“Right, Dorothy,” Relena sighed. So much innuendo from that woman. “All cat ownership belongs to you.”

On the other end of the line, Relena could hear the tinkle of laughter. “Good night, Relena.”

“Good night, Dorothy.”

Relena cut the line and sighed. She hated when Dorothy was right. She was surprised by how fulfilled she was by her new life; she thought leaving politics would leave her wanting. But the truth was she rarely missed it. What she longed for instead was some company.

Her thoughts drifted to dark blue eyes, a reserved smile, and the miles between her and L-2.

“Maybe I _should_ get a pet,” she mumbled to herself, closing the laptop for the evening. She had a new novel waiting for her in the den.

—————————

Relena did not, in fact, get a pet. Instead, she volunteered at a local animal shelter, and took a lot of joy in helping train and look after the animals there. She kept her role behind-the-scenes as much as possible, although she did relent to posing for a photo with one particular senior cat who wasn’t getting any applications despite having a sweet temperament.

“I thought I was the cat lady?” Dorothy messaged her the day the photo went out.

The cat was adopted within the week. After that success, Relena took to walking some of the dogs during her shift in hopes that the public would stop and ask about whomever she was with that day.

One particular afternoon she took Juno, a Siberian Husky, on a slow stroll through the main avenue. Juno was an excellent walking partner: well-behaved and friendly to even the children who would suddenly run up to her. Relena had a hunch the dog’s patience came from once being mother to a litter.

“Good girl,” she murmured after a group of loud children ran past and the Husky didn’t flinch or chase. She lowered her hand and offered a treat, which Juno carefully took.

Relena paused in front of one of the shop windows, lost in thought. She was rounding on her fifth month out of office, but her sabbatical from the nonprofit she had started a few years back was coming to an end, and she had some decisions to make concerning which role she would take upon her return. She could remain a spokesperson and member of the Board, but she could instead step into a more active role like Director. As the sole (known) living Peacecraft and with a sizable inheritance from her father’s estate, she could forgo the usual salary and help accomplish much more than as a Board member. 

She wanted to be useful to her organization, but she still longed to hold on to the calm of her current life; the quiet work of guiding dance steps and taking care of animals was balm to her soul.

“Still no guard detail?” A familiar voice asked, and she turned to see Heero standing a few feet away, looking into the same window shop. 

“I don’t need much security these days.” She tried to ignore the flutter of her pulse, and gave him a smile. “It’s nice to see you again, Heero.”

For the briefest of moments, Relena saw it: a glint of uncertainty reflected in Heero’s gaze, and it was both a relief and a surprise. She couldn’t recall seeing such a look from Heero in all the years she’d known him; even when staring down at her from the balcony at the Romefeller Conference in Bremen, his gaze never betrayed a hint of uncertainty. But here he was in that moment, wearing a coat of vulnerability that mirrored her own.

“I wasn’t sure—”

“I wasn’t either,” she admitted. “But I’m glad you came.”

He offered her a small upturn of his lips, and then his attention dropped to the dog at her feet. “Yours?”

“No. I volunteer at a shelter nearby, and she was in need of some exercise.” She watched as Heero expertly dropped his hand in a non-threatening manner, and Juno eagerly shuffled closer for some petting.

A few minutes passed, and then Juno was ready to return to her walk. Heero fell into step with them, and Relena tried not to think about how she must smell like the animal shelter.

“How long will you be here?” she asked, trying not to seem overly eager, but also wanting to spend time with Heero without any additional obligations.

“I have time,” he offered vaguely. 

“I’ll finish up at the shelter in two hours. I could meet you somewhere?”

He nodded, and she pointed out a small cafe further down the avenue. 

A few minutes later they parted, and Relena made sure he was well out of sight before quickening her pace back toward the shelter.

She needed a shower immediately after she finished her work.


	2. Part II

Part II

Notes: This part will contain sexual content later in the story.

—————————

Heero, she learned later that day, graduated university and was currently working as a climate regulation engineer on L-2. He was taking an undisclosed amount of time away for a research project and came to Earth with Duo and Hilde on their recent supply pick up. He didn’t divulge where said pick up was, but Relena knew the Maxwells didn’t have any connections within at least 100 miles near her home, so Heero’s appearance was not a coincidence. She had to temper the happiness rising inside her when she thought about him seeking her out.

He was still reserved, but Relena found that appealing; in her previous line of work, she had endured many a man with too many words despite having very little to contribute. When Heero spoke, in contrast, it always felt like a reveal of important information.

“You don’t like chocolate?” Relena tilted her head in puzzlement. They had been sitting at the cafe for several hours, and this was the first piece of information to surprise her.

“I don’t,” he confirmed, smiling at her expression. “You look offended, Relena.”

“What do you enjoy for dessert?”

“A coffee suits me,” he shrugged, then took a sip from his mug to emphasize the point. 

Relena glanced down at the chocolate cake she had ordered, then back at him. Perhaps it seemed silly, but it felt like she had just learned something fundamental about his character.

“You can have coffee at any time,” she reasoned. “The end of the day is when you’re allowed to enjoy more decadent pleasures.”

Like chocolate, is what she was trying to communicate.

There was a pause, and Relena felt her face heat. 

“Is that so?” After a moment Heero took another sip, and Relena was sure the movement hid a smile at her expense.

“It is,” she insisted, then took a bite of her cake to hide her embarrassment.

———————————

“You’re distracted, Princess.”

Relena turned from realigning chairs against the wall to look over at Fabrizio, the dance instructor she assisted once a week. Class had just finished, and the two of them usually straightened up before engaging in a dance or two without novice eyes or needing to slow their pace. “Was I? I’m sorry.”

“Your form was excellent as always, Dear,” Fabrizio assured, moving toward the sound system to put the music back on. “But your gaze was elsewhere.”

An instrumental version of “Blue Eyes” began to spill from the speakers, and he held out his hand to Relena. She took his hand and closed her eyes as they settled into the familiar steps of an English Waltz. Fabrizio was an excellent lead with decades of experience, and Relena was confident in their matched pace as they moved across the floor. Often Fabrizio’s wife, Alaina, would join them after class; as a salsa instructor, she sometimes showed Relena a few steps. But Relena much preferred when the couple danced together and she got to watch the magic of lovers who knew each others’ bodies instinctively while they moved as one.

“Someone from my past has resurfaced,” she eventually offered in explanation as they spun around the room, their steps slow and sure.

“I see. And what do you want from the connection?”

“Everything,” she breathed, lost in the music and fluidity of movement.

“Ahh! Poor Jordo, he’ll be heartbroken,” Fabrizio teased, referring to one of the young men who regularly attended their class. Jordon was good-looking, a decent dancer, well-mannered and around her age. Relena had been open to the idea of at least one date with him once he was no longer a student in the class.

The idea seemed like another lifetime since Heero’s arrival.

———————————

Three weeks passed in the quiet contentment of Heero’s company, and Relena was unsurprised to find he fit into her life with ease. He didn’t visit the inside of her home, but they often took to spending the autumn afternoons sitting in the small orchard near her garden. Sometimes they talked or shared lingering kisses under a well-shaded tree, but just as often they would read quietly in each other’s company. Relena was amused to learn she was a more enthusiastic reader than Heero, and she enjoyed when he would lay his head in her lap and nap while she continued reading.

“We have company,” Heero quietly told her one evening while enjoying coffee and dessert at the cafe they frequented. “3 o’clock. Look in the bushes and you’ll see his camera lens.”

Relena made a general sweep with her gaze so her search wasn’t apparent. “I see him. I don’t have many paparazzi these days, but they must find you interesting. I’m sorry.”

Heero shrugged beside her, seemingly unbothered by the scrutiny. 

Relena shored up her courage. She had planned to invite Heero home with her tonight, and she wasn’t going to allow a spy to ruin her plans. “I know we’re being watched right now, but would you like to come by my place tonight…?” 

She glanced down and twisted the napkin in her lap, courage leaving her. She wasn’t timid about her desires, but the ask somehow loomed large beside all the history they shared. Sometimes a battle raged within herself to reconcile Heero, the man she desired, against Heero, the fighter she had so admired in their youth. She wondered if he did the same: Relena the politician replaced with Relena the civilian.

She glanced back up, hoping her message was clear. Their gazes met and he nodded. She released a breath, smiled at him, and returned to finishing her dessert.

———————————————-

Later that evening, Relena tried to go about her usual routine despite the nervous energy running through her. However, after an hour with her current book, she abandoned it and settled into her bedroom with a calming tea. She stayed in her day clothes until eight, then reasoned they didn’t inspire temptation. 

She rummaged through her drawer and eyed an enticing, but very sheer black babydoll. She and Heero had known each other a long time, but their intimacy still felt new and fragile. With that in mind, she settled on a short, cream-colored silk sleep set and changed into it before she lost her nerve.

‘We should have settled on a time,’ she thought to herself as she glanced at the wall clock and wondered how long until the anticipation got the better of her. She left her vanity and stood by the sole bedroom window.

She shivered as she pulled back the curtains and touched the cool glass. The late autumn cold had settled in a few hours before, and the temperature difference caused a small circle of condensation with each exhale. Her matching slip and robe didn’t do much to aid against the chill in the air. She kept telling herself the bed covers were only a few feet away, that if she insisted on waiting this way she could do so in warmer conditions. 

“Were you waiting long?” a voice murmured from behind her, so close she jumped in reflex. Her skin tingled in anticipation though nothing had happened yet.

“No,” she smiled, calming as his reflection joined hers in the window. His face hovered over her shoulder, and her eyes closed as his arm snaked around her waist. His other hand came up, brushing her hair aside to expose her neck. “How did you get in?”

“I have ways,” he responded, and they shared a quiet smile.

“My, aren’t you bold,” she teased as he lowered his lips to the side of her neck, all the while tilting her head to accommodate him. She felt the soft texture of his lips against the quickening beat of her pulse, then the rougher texture of his tongue, and she sighed as she leaned back against his chest.

“You’re the one in a slip,” he murmured against her pulse point.

She hummed in agreement, brushing her fingertips against his side. She found the hem of his shirt and curled underneath the fabric, then upward, touching the warm skin of his hip bone. 

The arm around her tightened briefly, then slid down, his calloused fingers brushing the inside of one of her thighs. Her breath quickened as his hand slid up, the silk hitching further up as he moved. 

His other hand carefully pulled at the thin fabric of the open robe, and she allowed it to slide down her arms and onto the floor. The chill in the room nipped at her newly exposed skin, making her shiver until the warmth of him against her back made her shudder in a different way. His hand pressed against her center, briefly stroking her in time with his breath against her neck.

“Heero,” she cried quietly, tilting her hips forward in an effort to reconnect with his pleasuring hand. But his fingers continued their flight, once again moving up her body. He dragged the tiny strap down her shoulder and allowed it to fall, then traced his finger along the material’s edge to the valley between her breasts. He shifted, his head lowering and capturing her nipple between his lips. 

Her own fingers grasped the sides of her nightgown, but she couldn’t seem to feel the fabric, her focus wavering in light of his attention. She let out a small cry when he carefully captured her nipple between his teeth, but then his tongue soothed away the sting and mouthed a trail up the path of her collarbone.

“Come away from the window,” he murmured, then playfully nipped at her shoulder, his hands pulling her away from the glass and their reflections.

“Maybe I want to see you,” she murmured. The idea was watching their reflections and risk someone seeing them while they explored each other’s bodies sent a thrill through her, but she let the curtain drop and stepped back with him. 

“I’m right here.” He lightly spun her, and finally they were face to face. He traced his thumb along her jaw, the roughness of his callouses leaving delightful sensations along her sensitive skin. She shivered, enjoying his tenderness, but also feeling impatient with desire. She felt as though she had wanted this, wanted him, forever, and now he was finally hers for the taking.

She tilted her head into his touch and traced her lips against his thumb, pulling it into her mouth when she reached the tip. He gave a hiss in response, and the energy between them shifted immediately. She watched as his eyes darkened, his pupils blown wide as her tongue slid along the length of the digit.

“Fuck,” he growled, and the surprise at hearing him so affected brought a delighted hum from her.

“Take me to bed, Heero,” she softly commanded after releasing his thumb with a soft pop. He wasted no time, scooping her up into his arms, and she reached for the light switch as they passed it. The room fell in near-darkness, the only light from the sliver of autumn moonlight peeking through the curtains. 

Then they were a tangle of kisses and intertwining limbs on her bed, and Relena felt her desperation rising as they began to undress. She fumbled with his belt, and then his sure hands joined hers to help with removing it, then removed her slip with the same careful ease. When he rose to step out of his pants, Relena took a moment to admire the ways he had filled out: He was still lean muscle, but his broader frame and the added weight from regular meals made him devastatingly attractive.

“Are you all right?” he asked when he caught her staring. He rid himself of the last of his clothing with his usual efficiency, and Relena held back a bubble of giddiness that threatened to burst out of her in the most embarrassing fashion. She wasn’t a teenager, and she wasn’t going to act like one in front of this gorgeous man she loved.

She did, however, bite her lip and smile in clear approval. Not trusting her voice at that moment, she hummed an affirmative to his question and held out her hand to beckon him back into bed.

Once he was against her again and their mouths met, all her giddiness and the earlier chill were replaced with heat. His hands and mouth were setting her alight, and every moan she was able to elicit from him made her desire climb. Her whole life had been a performance of tightly-wound control, and she wanted to detach from it and let her feelings carry her where they would.

“Please,” she whimpered as she clung to his back, desperate to satisfy the need of him living within her for as long as she could remember. She settled on top of him, straddling him and rolling her hips to alleviate some of the pressure building. Her sex slid along his length with ease and she moaned at the sensation.

“Relena,” Heero prompted, his voice strained as he bucked up against her. 

Taking that as his consent, she reached between them and shifted, sinking down onto him. Their low moans rang out in the quiet room, and then Relena was setting their pace as Heero watched her from below, his gaze clouded with lust and his thumb playing with the bundle of nerves just above where their bodies met. 

She could distantly hear herself crying out affirmations, but friction and fullness inside her and Heero’s wicked thumb were driving her to madness. The pleasure built as he continued his attentions to her body, and then she was exploding and grounding herself against him to try to keep the sensation from fleeing.

“Keep going, Heero, please,” she managed, feeling him holding back even as his grip on her waist tightened. 

Suddenly she was on her back again as Heero flipped them, and she wrapped her legs around him as he took hold of her. Still lost in her euphoria, Heero was a blur of movement and sensation as his harsh breathing filled her ears and his fingers dug into her hips. 

“I’m—Can I—” he managed brokenly between pants.

“Yes, yes,” she cried, and then she gasped in pleasure as he growled out her name and came inside her. 

Spent, he caught himself on his forearm before he collapsed on her.   
“Are you all right?” He asked as he pulled out of her and settled them on their sides, face to face.

This time she did, to her horror, let out a giggle. “I’m great.”

She sighed contentedly as he lightly rubbed her thigh to relieve some of her trembling, relaxing under his attention as their erratic breathing settled into calm.

“Will you stay with me?” She asked as she pushed some of his hair out of his eyes. It was the first time that evening she felt some uncertainty return.

“Yeah.”

He didn’t elaborate if it was for the night or forever, but that was fine. The weight in her chest lifted, and she curled closer to him. A few minutes later she heard his breath deepen in sleep, and she allowed the simple rise and fall of his chest to lull her into sleep as well. She didn’t know what the future held for them, but that was nothing new. For now, she was happy with them both at rest.


End file.
